Somerville Kurt F Invests $1.28 Million in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Somerville Kurt F bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 4,690 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $1,276,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Union Pacific by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 59,329,262 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $13,724,045,000 after acquiring an additional 659,378 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,330,080 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $6,090,674,000 after acquiring an additional 1,082,285 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 92.1% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $4,658,142,000 after acquiring an additional 9,655,306 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,360,668 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,552,550,000 after purchasing an additional 296,814 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 16.8% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 14,463,071 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,509,030,000 after purchasing an additional 2,084,808 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.8%

Union Pacific stock opened at $304.34 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $285.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $267.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The firm has a market cap of $180.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.96. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $210.84 and a 52 week high of $315.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.26 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.85% and a return on equity of 38.46%. The business’s revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.03 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a $1.42 dividend. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. This represents a $5.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 44.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Benchmark raised their price target on Union Pacific from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $339.00 price objective (up from $289.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $335.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Citizens Jmp started coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $350.00 target price on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and set a $320.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $320.89.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services.

Union Pacific’s core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two‑thirds of the United States.